Cape Verde

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	Visa-free for stays up to 30 days; must complete the online EASE (Electronic Travel Authorization) at least 5 days before travel; passport stamped on arrival
us passport	Not covered by the EU/UK/EFTA visa-free rule; visa on arrival with border police, 30-day tourist visa costing 2,756-3,300 CVE (~EUR 25-30, 2025 figures)
uk passport	Same as EU passport holders: visa-free up to 30 days, EASE pre-registration required
entry or eco taxes	Mandatory Airport Security Tax (TSA) of 3,400 CVE for all non-resident visitors, applies regardless of visa-free/visa-required status
notes	Passport must be valid 6+ months from arrival date for all nationalities. EASE replaced the old visa requirement for EU/EFTA/UK travelers; unclear from sources whether US citizens must also complete EASE in addition to paying the on-arrival visa fee - recorded as an open question.

Money

currency	Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE), pegged to the Euro at 110.265 CVE = 1 EUR
card acceptance	Visa/Mastercard widely accepted at hotels and tourist-oriented restaurants on Sal and Boa Vista; markets, taxis and small local establishments are cash-only; Euros are widely accepted alongside CVE in the Sal/Boa Vista tourist zones
atm networks fees limits	ATMs concentrated on Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago and São Vicente; smaller islands need cash carried in. Multiple trip reports note ATMs around Sal Rei (Boa Vista) can run out of cash for up to 24 hours at a time - carry backup cash/cards.

SIM & internet

operators ranked for coast coverage	Unitel T+ (T-Mais) CV Móvel (also branded 'Alou')
esim options	Third-party travel eSIMs (Airalo, Saily, etc.) from under USD 5 for a short stay
notes	Unitel T+ does not offer eSIMs even to postpaid customers, so a physical local SIM or a third-party travel eSIM are the main options. Sal, Boa Vista, São Vicente and Santiago (the main tourist/kite islands) have reliable 4G coverage.

Insurance

Health

vaccines	Routine vaccines; Hepatitis A recommended for unvaccinated travelers 1+ years old; Hepatitis B recommended for unvaccinated travelers; yellow fever vaccine NOT recommended for direct travel from the US/UK/EU (only required if arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country)
mosquito disease seasons	No malaria risk identified in CDC guidance for Cape Verde (no antimalarials discussed). Dengue and Zika are listed as mosquito-borne risks present; general bite prevention (20%+ DEET) advised.
tap water	Not explicitly confirmed as safe; CDC flags a current health alert of increased Shigella infections (food/waterborne) in travelers returning from Santa Maria and Boa Vista - bottled water and careful food hygiene recommended
emergency numbers	Police 132, Fire 131, Ambulance 130 (per Wikipedia's emergency-numbers list; not cross-checked against a Cape Verdean government source this session)

Driving

Regulation

Calendar & costs

beer	295 CVE
meal	550 CVE, inexpensive restaurant meal
coffee	234.43 CVE, regular cappuccino
one bedroom month	24,600 CVE, 1BR outside city centre
currency	CVE
year	2026

airline: Cabo Verde Airlines (TACV)
policy: Sports equipment (which would include kite gear) requires prior authorization due to weight/size/aircraft type; booking must be made at least 24 hours before departure with a signed Declaration of Transport form
year: 2025
source: https://caboverdeairlines.com/baggage-info/sports-equipment/
airline: TAP Air Portugal
policy: Common connection to Cape Verde via Lisbon. Kitesurf/windsurf equipment and surfboards must be in designated bags with a signed sports-equipment declaration form; carried free as checked baggage within the normal allowance (23kg Economy/32kg Business, max combined dimensions 158cm) - extra fees only apply if it exceeds the fare's normal weight/size/piece allowance
fee: Add-on sports equipment fee from EUR 45 / USD 57 / CAD 78 or 9,000 TAP miles when purchased outside the normal allowance (2025/2026); an older 2023 figure cited EUR 60 online / EUR 65 at the airport for boards under 200cm - may be stale
limits: Max combined dimensions 158cm; 23kg (Economy) / 32kg (Business)
year: 2025
source: https://www.flytap.com/en-us/information/baggage/sports-equipment

Open questions

Whether US passport holders must also complete the EASE electronic authorization in addition to the on-arrival visa fee is unclear from sources gathered.
Whether Cape Verde has a dedicated digital nomad visa program was not verified this session (some general prior knowledge suggests one may exist, but this was not confirmed via search/primary source this batch - treat as unconfirmed).
Driving/IDP requirements, kite-specific and drone regulation, tipping norms, and local instant-payment options were not found for Cape Verde this session.
ATM fees and withdrawal limits not quantified.